{"id":33252,"date":"2018-04-30T15:16:06","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T22:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=33252"},"modified":"2020-05-22T13:05:48","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T20:05:48","slug":"training-for-the-big-sur-marathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/training-for-the-big-sur-marathon","title":{"rendered":"The Big Sur Marathon is the Most Stunning Coastal Run on Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 6:30 in the morning and I\u2019m staring down the 26.2 miles that lay ahead of me on a glorious, sunrise-lit stretch of Highway 1 from California\u2019s Big Sur north toward Carmel. This moment, standing near the starting line before the race begins, is where I\u2019m supposed to reflect and be grateful that I\u2019ve made it this far. All the training, all those <\/span>preparatory miles and early morning runs,<\/span> are behind me now. But all I can think about is how far I still have to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Big Sur Marathon\u2014which took place on Sunday\u2014is billed as the largest rural marathon in the world. More than 4,000 runners congregate along this remote stretch of rugged, rocky coastline three hours south of San Francisco on the literal edge of the Pacific Ocean. We\u2019ll run through thick redwood forests, up and down seemingly endless hills and over the famed Bixby Bridge, where a grand piano will play classical tunes. It’s one of those must-do bucket list races for any runner. I ended up here not because I love long-distance running, but because I can\u2019t say no when a good challenge finds its way into my inbox.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoka One One<\/span><\/a>, the running shoe company, was bringing a few journalists together to test running shoes and enjoy the festivities around the Big Sur Marathon. When the email showed up, it was January\u2014four months before the marathon\u2014and in the midst of what was then a very dry winter in Tahoe City, California, where I live. With minimal snowfall and less-than-ideal ski conditions, I thought, sure, a spring weekend in Big Sur sounds like fun. Presented with the options of what distances I could run\u20145K, 12K, 11-miler, 21-miler, or the full 26.2\u2014I didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cI\u2019ll do the marathon,\u201d I responded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The author during a less-than-ideal training run. (Photo Credit: Megan Michelson)<\/p><\/div>\n

Fast forward to March and Tahoe is suddenly in the midst of one of the snowiest months on record. A whopping 18 feet of snow fell over the course of the month, making it the fourth wettest March since 1903 and earning the nickname \u201cMiracle March.\u201d So there I am, on a Saturday in mid-March when I\u2019d much rather be skiing powder but instead I\u2019m running 18 miles on wet, snowy roads as freezing snowflakes pelt me in the face. <\/span><\/p>\n

I ran on slippery ice, through howling wind and froze my face and hands. I was really putting my new Hoka running shoes to the test\u2014and they held up well. During one particularly stormy weekend in March, I was forced to stay inside and ran 14 brutally boring miles on a treadmill at the gym. Mental note: When you live in a ski town that\u2019s prone to epic storms, do not sign up to train for a marathon in the middle of winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now, I\u2019m here, at the start of the run and it\u2019s downright beautiful\u2014a misty, morning fog shrouding the road ahead. Despite the blizzard-soaked training runs, I\u2019m as physically ready as I\u2019m going to be. Plus, Big Sur has bounced back from its own storm-battered past. In 2017, massive rainstorms and mudslides forced Highway 1 into Big Sur to close from the north for seven months, and the road headed south is still closed to traffic due to damage from landslides. For much of last year, if you wanted to visit Big Sur, you literally had to hike in. Last year\u2019s marathon wasn\u2019t impacted, since the slides were farther south than the course, but it still feels fitting that this place and I have both weathered the storms (albeit mine were far less severe).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Runners along Highway 1 in the Big Sur Marathon. (Photo courtesy of Big Sur Marathon Foundation)<\/p><\/div>\n

Before the run, I\u2019d asked Magda Boulet, a Hoka-sponsored runner who won the Big Sur Marathon in 2016 and now spends most of her time running ultramarathons, for some pointers. She\u2019d devised the training plan I followed, too. It was a 16-week schedule with a mix of long runs, cross-training, rest days and interval workouts, where I\u2019d run hard for two minutes, followed by a minute of easy jogging for between 30 and 45 minutes. \u201cIt\u2019s important to mix up your training so you don\u2019t overdo any one thing,\u201d she\u2019d said.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d asked her how she stays calm at the start of big races. \u201c<\/span>Big crowds in marathons can be tricky, for sure,\u201d she\u2019d said. \u201cOne thing I like to do is talk to people in the crowd. Most of them are excited and we\u2019re all about to embark on this journey together and having a nice conversation with a total stranger about our shared hopes and fears can calm you down a bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With that in mind, I struck up a conversation at the packed starting line with a mother-daughter duo\u2014the mom was running her 12th marathon, while her daughter was running her first. They seemed both excited and anxious\u2014just like me. Boulet was right. The quick chat helped\u2014I didn\u2019t know anyone here, but suddenly, I didn\u2019t feel alone anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You’ll run 26.2 miles but with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. (Photo courtesy of Big Sur Marathon Foundation)<\/p><\/div>\n

Finally, it was time to run. For the first half, I was so distracted by the gorgeous views\u2014steep cliffs plunging into crashing waves to my left and towering old-growth trees and rolling, green hills to my right\u2014that I barely noticed the miles falling away. Around mile 17, a determined drizzle appeared, soaking runners and water-pouring volunteers alike, but I thought, “I\u2019ve run through worse.” Near mile 20, I began to feel the ache. A pinch between my shoulder blades, a heaviness in my step. It wasn\u2019t the shoes\u2014my<\/span> Hoka <\/span>Challenger ATR 4\u2019s<\/span><\/a> felt light, nimble and offered plenty of cushion\u2014it was me.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d asked Boulet about this as well, since I\u2019d only run up to 22 miles in my training: How will I tackle those last 4 miles, which feel like uncharted territory? <\/span>\u201cI find that the adrenaline and energy you feel on race day will make the earlier miles a bit easier than they were in training and the excitement of finishing should help carry you through those last few miles,\u201d Boulet said. \u201cIf it does really start to hurt, though, a lot of people slow way down. What I\u2019ve found is it still hurts just as much, so you might as well try to keep the pace you were running and get done sooner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Strawberries help on the final push to the finish. (Photo credit: Megan Michelson)<\/p><\/div>\n

I channeled her advice and tried to maintain my pace as best I could. Might as well minimize the time spent suffering, right? Then, just when I thought I couldn\u2019t go any farther, I came upon the strawberries. Just past mile 23, 3 miles from the finish, volunteers stood on the side of the road handing out fistfuls of fresh, glistening berries. I shoved a few into my mouth, gulped down some water and ran toward the finish. <\/span><\/p>\n

When I crossed that finish line, I was shivering from the dampness and every muscle in my body was screaming to lie down, but I couldn\u2019t have been happier. I felt impossibly strong and empowered in a way I can\u2019t fully describe, like a jolt of electricity was pumping through me. I may not sign up for another marathon requiring winter training again, but a summer marathon? Absolutely. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLearn More: How to Train for a Marathon<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 6:30 in the morning and I\u2019m staring down the 26.2 miles that lay ahead of me on a glorious, sunrise-lit stretch of Highway 1 from California\u2019s Big Sur north toward Carmel. This moment, standing near the starting line before the race begins, is where I\u2019m supposed to reflect and be grateful that I\u2019ve made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":33253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[284,727,969,359,1376],"internal-tag":[1676,1682],"class_list":["post-33252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-run","tag-hoka","tag-latest-posts","tag-marathon","tag-run","tag-running","internal-tag-pre-redirect-run","internal-tag-pre-redirect-running"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/run\/training-for-the-big-sur-marathon","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Big Sur Marathon is the Most Stunning Coastal Run on Earth","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/training-for-the-big-sur-marathon","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/run\/training-for-the-big-sur-marathon"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/BSIM17_4.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/04\/BSIM17_4.jpg?fit=2000%2C1167"},"articleSection":"Run","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["hoka","latest posts","marathon","run","running"],"dateCreated":"2018-04-30T22:16:06Z","datePublished":"2018-04-30T22:16:06Z","dateModified":"2020-05-22T20:05:48Z"},"rendered":"